I know you are excited about the giveaway part, so here it is. Our colleague Noam Tyroler is offering free copies of his book Thai Acupressure to two (very lucky) readers. This is an important book in our field, a comprehensive manual for treating orthopedic disorders in the Wat Pho tradition (and a $120 value). Winners will be chosen on 12/21/14.
New Thai Acupressure On-line Video Course
Noam's book is the foundation of his new on-line video course. His project is a very ambitious one with high production values. It's precision and clarity make on-line study fully accessible to an experienced practitioner of bodywork.
When it is complete some time in 2015, the course will include 60 protocols for treating orthopedic disorders.
Noam and his team recently released the first lesson, a two-hour exploration of acupressure treatment of tennis elbow (scroll down to have a look).
When it is complete some time in 2015, the course will include 60 protocols for treating orthopedic disorders.
Noam and his team recently released the first lesson, a two-hour exploration of acupressure treatment of tennis elbow (scroll down to have a look).
Special Discounts for Bamboo Readers
To help finance the editing phase of this gorgeous project, Noam is offering additional pre-release discounts now through the end of December to Bamboo readers. Save 60% by ordering with the links below.
Noam explains how the course works, "It will soon be on-line. We will add every month new protocols and those who have purchased it will have a free unlimited access to all the completed and future protocols." Nice.
Noam explains how the course works, "It will soon be on-line. We will add every month new protocols and those who have purchased it will have a free unlimited access to all the completed and future protocols." Nice.
An Interview with Noam
Pam:
How did your own practice of Thai massage become focused on medical massage and acupressure treatment?
Noam:
Thai medical massage is a simple effective method. It is widespread in Thailand, but for different reasons we farangs do not have easy access to it, and it has not become yet a natural part of our Thai massage training.
We do not go to the places / clinics that the Thais go to for treatment. We do not meet the Thai massage practitioners that are trained in medical massage. College Ayuwaled was situated for many years in Bang Lampoo - a 10 minutes walk from the Koasan Street, but I never saw a farang there, only Thais. I never saw travelers in other massage clinics that I visited.
It's exciting and rewarding to try making medical Thai massage a natural part of
the training of my western Thai massage community.
I love to give general Thai massage. I also still teach every year a few general massage courses. I took many general massage courses in Thailand from 1989 to 1992 and in the first few years of my practice was not interested in treating pain, but only in the magic of Thai massage.
Over time I became frustrated at not knowing how to approach pain, so I went to
Thailand in 1997 again in search of medical knowledge.
A practitioner that worked at a clinic of graduates of the Thai Ministry of Public Health program secretly showed me their protocols. The head massage teacher at College Ayuwaled showed me their course text book, but was not ready to sell it to me and said that they would not teach me their treatment protocols.
At that time only Thai citizens were allowed to learn medical massage and internal medicine, but at the Wat Pho School they offered their therapeutic massage courses to farangs as well, and their collection of treatment protocols was exactly what I was looking for. When I began to use these point combinations on clients, I was amazed with their effectiveness and felt that I have found gold. Treating pain became a challenge to play with.
It seems that I love to teach. I was teaching at the Riedman College in Israel (a big college for holistic medicine of 8000! students), and developing a new Thai therapeutic massage course became a challenge. I wanted my students to realize how simple these protocols were and wanted them to learn to use them in the Thai way - deep and effective.
Planning and designing learning materials is an interest of mine, so writing and designing a guide book that will presents these "golden" lines and points routines was a special thing to do.
Following the book's publication in 2009, I was invited to teach in different countries and over time understood that a video course to supplement the courses and book was needed. Developing a video course is my new baby now, but this baby has turned out to be a giant with over 2000 hours of filming and thousands of editing hours.
Pam:
Your video training is remarkably in-depth and technically precise. As a new generation of courses of this quality become available on-line, what effect do you foresee them having on the practice of Thai massage outside Thailand?
Noam:
Its possible that these on-line courses will make us better in our profession. I know from my own experience that books and videos in our field of bodywork can be VERY helpful.
When I studied at Wat Pho, I could take videos (which are not allowed today)
which proved crucial when I came home to review and really learn the over 200 points and the big amount of information.
For a year I met a friend of mine (a physiotherapist) every week for a few hours to study the protocols, and we heavily relied on the videos that I took. I was sorry that I did not find a video or a book when in Thailand to help me learn when back home, as the notes that I took were not sufficient, and my videos lacked a lot of important information.
I asked any one who went to Thailand to buy for me a book or video, but there was nothing to be found. Eight years later, I understood that I can be the one to write that book and now, a few years later, to make this video. It's the book that I needed so badly then and the video that I could only dream of.
How did your own practice of Thai massage become focused on medical massage and acupressure treatment?
Noam:
Thai medical massage is a simple effective method. It is widespread in Thailand, but for different reasons we farangs do not have easy access to it, and it has not become yet a natural part of our Thai massage training.
We do not go to the places / clinics that the Thais go to for treatment. We do not meet the Thai massage practitioners that are trained in medical massage. College Ayuwaled was situated for many years in Bang Lampoo - a 10 minutes walk from the Koasan Street, but I never saw a farang there, only Thais. I never saw travelers in other massage clinics that I visited.
It's exciting and rewarding to try making medical Thai massage a natural part of
the training of my western Thai massage community.
I love to give general Thai massage. I also still teach every year a few general massage courses. I took many general massage courses in Thailand from 1989 to 1992 and in the first few years of my practice was not interested in treating pain, but only in the magic of Thai massage.
Over time I became frustrated at not knowing how to approach pain, so I went to
Thailand in 1997 again in search of medical knowledge.
A practitioner that worked at a clinic of graduates of the Thai Ministry of Public Health program secretly showed me their protocols. The head massage teacher at College Ayuwaled showed me their course text book, but was not ready to sell it to me and said that they would not teach me their treatment protocols.
At that time only Thai citizens were allowed to learn medical massage and internal medicine, but at the Wat Pho School they offered their therapeutic massage courses to farangs as well, and their collection of treatment protocols was exactly what I was looking for. When I began to use these point combinations on clients, I was amazed with their effectiveness and felt that I have found gold. Treating pain became a challenge to play with.
It seems that I love to teach. I was teaching at the Riedman College in Israel (a big college for holistic medicine of 8000! students), and developing a new Thai therapeutic massage course became a challenge. I wanted my students to realize how simple these protocols were and wanted them to learn to use them in the Thai way - deep and effective.
Planning and designing learning materials is an interest of mine, so writing and designing a guide book that will presents these "golden" lines and points routines was a special thing to do.
Following the book's publication in 2009, I was invited to teach in different countries and over time understood that a video course to supplement the courses and book was needed. Developing a video course is my new baby now, but this baby has turned out to be a giant with over 2000 hours of filming and thousands of editing hours.
Pam:
Your video training is remarkably in-depth and technically precise. As a new generation of courses of this quality become available on-line, what effect do you foresee them having on the practice of Thai massage outside Thailand?
Noam:
Its possible that these on-line courses will make us better in our profession. I know from my own experience that books and videos in our field of bodywork can be VERY helpful.
When I studied at Wat Pho, I could take videos (which are not allowed today)
which proved crucial when I came home to review and really learn the over 200 points and the big amount of information.
For a year I met a friend of mine (a physiotherapist) every week for a few hours to study the protocols, and we heavily relied on the videos that I took. I was sorry that I did not find a video or a book when in Thailand to help me learn when back home, as the notes that I took were not sufficient, and my videos lacked a lot of important information.
I asked any one who went to Thailand to buy for me a book or video, but there was nothing to be found. Eight years later, I understood that I can be the one to write that book and now, a few years later, to make this video. It's the book that I needed so badly then and the video that I could only dream of.
Pam:
How do you envision a therapist using the video course and your book? Is the video series a companion to your book or does it stand alone as a training?
Noam:
Trying to make a stand alone video would have resulted in a very heavy, slow video that does not do a good job. It is already heavy now. The video supplements the book. If you can choose only one - take the book. We need a solid, not moving "earth" information as a basis for the "wind" video information.
How do you envision a therapist using the video course and your book? Is the video series a companion to your book or does it stand alone as a training?
Noam:
Trying to make a stand alone video would have resulted in a very heavy, slow video that does not do a good job. It is already heavy now. The video supplements the book. If you can choose only one - take the book. We need a solid, not moving "earth" information as a basis for the "wind" video information.
Tennis elbow from Ketan Atmo on Vimeo.
Giveaway Particulars
Two winners will be chosen at random on December 22nd, posted here and notified by email. Noam will ship the winner's books direct from Israel, so watch the post!
Want more chances to win? Share this blog post on Facebook, and leave a comment below telling me you did! Good Luck!
WINNERS Announced! The winners are Estell Myers and Jim Madras. Thanks so much to everyone who entered!
Want more chances to win? Share this blog post on Facebook, and leave a comment below telling me you did! Good Luck!
WINNERS Announced! The winners are Estell Myers and Jim Madras. Thanks so much to everyone who entered!